Type-writer ribbon mechanism.



J." ALEXANDER. TYPE WRITER RIBBON MECHANISM. Ag-ruonlou nun xbv. 1?, 190a; RENEWED 00T.19. 1911.

Patented Jan. 2, 1912.

m 03 av mm i m mm 6 w J. ALEXANDER.

TYPE WRITER RIBBON MECHANISM.

APPLICATION nun NOV. 17, 1908. RENEWED 001 .19, 1011.

4 SHEETS SHEET 2.

J. ALEXANDER.

TYPE WRITER RIBBON MECHANISM. AiiI-IOATION FILED H0117, 1908. RENEWED 0013.19, 1911.

Patented Jam; 1912.

J. ALEXANDER. TYPE WRITER RIBBONIMEGHANIBM. v V APPLIUATION FILED NOV. 1'7, 190 8. RENEWED 001'. 19,1911.

1 ;013,09 5. I Patented Jan. 2, 1912.

' citizen of the, United States, residing at for clear illustration of the spool operating I To all whom it may concern:

clear, and exact description.

the usual machine frame 1, the platen 2,

UNITED @TATEFS YPATENT @FFIGE.

mesa ALEXANDER, or BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR or ONE-HALF. .ro n. N. manna, or NEW YORK, 1v. Y.

TYPE-WRITER RIBBON MEGHANISM.

Spec'ification'oi? Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 2,1912.

Application filed November 17 1908, Serial No. 462,989. Renewed October 19, 1911. Serial No. 655,686.

Be it known that I, Jnssn ALEXANDER, a

Brooklyn, county of Kings, State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Type Writer Ribbon Mechanism, of which the following is a full,

My invention relates to a typewriter mechanism and is particularly concerned with improvements-in the ribbon'operating mechanism of so-called visible writing machines.

The object of the invention is to simplify the ribbon mechanism, both in respect to means for causing the ribboh to travel from side to side across the printing point, to change the point of impact upon the ribbon to secure a clear impression, and in the means for shifting the ribbon out of the line of print to effect the so-called visible Writing function.

A further object is to provide for the easy replacement of the ribbon when the same is worn out in use, and in general to reduce the mechanism to the fewest number of parts consistent with effective operation.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in the construction andarrangement Lhf parts, a preferred embodiment of which is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which,

Figure 1 is a plan View of so much of the machine as illustrates the ribbon spools, the ribbon support and the arrangement of the ribbon therein. Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1, parts being removed or broken away mechanism. Fig. 3 is a central vertical section of the machine, and Fig. 4 is a rear view of parts shown in Fig. 1.

In the embodiment of my invention herein selected for illustration, the same comprises key levers 3, type bars a, operating connections therefor 5, feed dog 6 and its operating connections 7. The ribbon spools proper 8 are mounted upon suitable spindles,9 jour naled in the bearings 10, which 'are secured to plates 11 on each side of the machine frame, which plates are made detachable in any desired manner in order to give access to the ,spool actuating mechanism. The spools are detachahiv securedto the shafts by means of a suitable spline connection and are locked in position by spring locking frame by means of pin and slot connections 18. The rear ends of the actuatingbars 17 are pivoted-at 19 to depending lever arms 20 secured to either end of an oscillating bar 21, which, as shown in Fig. 2, is mounted for oscillation in the side plates of the machine frame. The oscillation of the bar 21 is efi'ected through a depending lever 23 preferably mounted at the center of said bar and connected by a link 24 with the feed dog 6. -The actuating link 7 of the feed dog is connected with a universal bar 25. Fig. 3, located beneath the key levers, whereby upon each depression of said levers said parts will be actuated and the movement thereof will be communicated by means of the mechanism and connections described to the actuating fingers 16, whereby at each printing stroke of the key levers the ribbon spools 8 will be revolved a short distance determined by the point of engagement of the actuating finger 16 with the ratchet wheel 15 upon the spool shafts 9.

. In order to prevent overthrow of the ribbon spools, ratchet pawls 26 are provided having inturned ends 27 adapted to engage the teeth of the ratchet Wheels 15, which pawls are mounted, upon suitable lugs or posts 28 depending from the plates 11 in which the shafts 9 are journ-aled. In addition to preventing overthrow of the ribbon spool, said pawls serve to hold the spools in their rotated positions after each actuation thereof, by the finger 16, whereby the ribbon is kept taut across the printing point.

In order to reverse the movement of the ribbon when it has reached the limit of its travel in one direction, means are provided to disengage the actuating finger 16 at one side of the machine from its corresponding ratchet wheel and to cause the finger at the opposite side to/ simultaneously engage the corresponding ratchet wheel upon that side. To this end a slide bar 29 is provided (see Figs. 2 and 4) having slots 30 which slid-' ably engage screws 31 tapped into the cross bar 32 of the machine frame. Said reversing bar-29 is provided with a depending finger piece 33, which projects in convenient position to be grasped by the operator to shift said bar-to reverse the ribbon moveone side or the other, thebar 29 is provided.

with a slightidentation 36 adapted to engage corresponding projections 37 on the rear of the cross bar 82.

As will be seen from an inspection of Fig. 2, the reversing fingers 34 serve not only to disengage the actuating fingers 16 from their corresponding ratchet wheels 15, but inasmuch as the spring pawls' 26 lie outside of said fingers 16', the disengaging movement of one of said fingers by the reversing arm 34 will serve at the same time to disengage the corresponding spring pawl from the same ratchet wheel.

By the above described construction simple and eliicient means are provided for producing and reversing the travel of the ribbon, for while the actuating fingers will both be actuated at each stroke of the key levers, obviously only that ratchet and spool will be actuated thereby with which one of said fingers is at the time engaged.

In order to provide for the guiding of the ribbon 38 across the printing point avertical support or finger 39 is suitabl mounted in suitable guides (not showni on the machine frame opposite said printing point which support or finger is pivoted at its lower end at 40 to an' actuating lever 41 pivoted at l2 upon the machine frame. The ribbon support 39 may if desired be pro vided with suitable friction rolls 43, Fig. 2, between which and a guide plate 44 the ribbon is carried. In normal position or when at rest, the ribbon at the printing point lies just below said point, and is arranged to be actuated to a position over the printing point at the moment of the printing stroke. To this end lever 41 which is connected to the bottom of the ribbon support 39 is connected by a link 45 to a universal bar 46 located beneath the ky levers 3 so that when any of said key levers are depressed to actuate the type-bars the ribbon support 39 carrying theribbon will be simultaneously lifted to bring the ribbon opposite the printing point.

YVhile I have herein described a particular embodiment of my invention, it is to be understood-the same may be altered in do I 6. A ribbon -mechanism for typewriting tail and relative arrangement of parts without departing from the spirit or scope thereof.

What I claim is:

1. A ribbon mechanism for typewriting machines comprising a pair of ribuon spools, a carriage feed dog rocker, a rock shaft, a separate actuating finger for actuating each of said ribbon spools respectively connected with said shaft to cause the ribbon to travel across the printing point and operative connections between said rock shaft and said feed dog rocker to cause the. actuation of said spools.

2. A ribbon mechanism for t pewriting machinescomprising a pair of rib on spools, a feed dog rocker, a ratchet wheel connected with each spool, an actuating finger adapted to engage each ratchet wheel, a rock shaft connected with saidfingers, manually operable means for disengaging one of. said fingers from its wheel an simultaneously engaging the other finger with its wheel and operative connections between said rock shaft and said feed dog rocker for actuating said fingers.

3. A ribbon mechanism'for typewriting machines comprising a air. of rib on spools, a support for said rib on located opposite the printing point, a ratchet wheel connected with each of said spools, a spool actuating finger adapted to engage each of said-wheels, a pawl also adapted to engage each wheel and means for causin' a simul taneous disengagement of one nger and pawl from its wheel and engagement of the other finger and pawl with its wheel.

4. A ribbon mechanism for typewriting machines comprising a pair of ribbon spools, a support for said ribbon located opposite the printing point, a feeddog rocker, a ratchet wheel connected with each of said spools, actuating fingers adapted to engage each of said ratchet wheels respectively, (3)- erating connections between said'fingers a (1 said feed dog rocker to cause the actuation of said spools, and means for simultaneously disengaging one of said fingers and the corresponding pawl from one spool, and engaging the other finger and pawl with the other s 001.

5. A ribbon mechanism for typewriting machines comprising a ribbon spool, a support for said ribbon located opposite the machines comprising a pair of ribbon spools,

a ribbon support located opposite the printing point, ratchet wheels attached to said spools, actuating fingers adapted to engage said ratchet wheels to actuate said ribbon across the printing point, a rock shaft, connections between said rock shaft and said fingers, a feed dog rocker and actuating means between said rocker and said rock shaft whereby said fingers will be operated by the actuation of said rocker.

7. A ribbon mechanism for typewriting machines comprising a pair of ribbon spools,

a ribbon support ioc'atedopposite the printingpoint, ratchet Wheels connected with said spools, actuating fingers adapted to engage said ratchet wheels to rotate said spools, a rock shaft having rock arms connecting with said fingers a feed dog rocker, and operative connections between said rocker and said rock shaft whereby the actuation of said rocker will serve to actuate said fingers.

JESSE ALEXANDER. Witnesses:

R. W. POWELL, CHAS. A. PEARD. 

